HAVANA – Off San Lazaro Street in Centro Habana, Nancy Castro said the sewage backup in her building continues. The raw sewage is creeping into her patio.
She is worried about the children in the neighborhood and she said she is also concerned about the smell and the health risks.
"The clogging is happening all the time," Castro said.
Workers, who Castro hopes will get the neighborhood new water and gas pipes, were digging Tuesday. Castro is among the residents who are waiting for local officials to upgrade and maintain their neighborhood's infrastructure. The leaky drainage system is also wasting water.
Centro Habana's situation is not uncommon on the island. With very little maintenance, the infrastructure continues to deteriorate. The unsanitary situation is to blame for disease outbreaks like cholera and zika.
The UNESCO World Heritage Site's crumbling infrastructure is only worsening with time.
Cubans can't afford water bottles like tourists. While the aqueduct was designed to service about 600,000, the city is growing.Some experts also fear salt water intrusion will pollute the aquifers of the city.
Meanwhile at Centro Havana, the government hasn't been able to identify and change all of the corroded pipes in the island's capital. It's a work in progress.